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Writing advice, if you need it.

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Don’t be afraid to write. You can delete (or erase!) anything. But do write. A lot. Writing is like any other thing you do. The more you do it, the better you get. Your first writing will probably be pretty bad. (mine was!) Don’t post your early stuff to the internet. It will pop up to haunt you later.

Don’t show your writing to anyone you can corner. I know, you get excited, you just KNOW that you’re gonna be the next Rowling, or King. You can feel it. Unfortunately, most folk will get pretty annoyed pretty fast. And you don’t build fans like that. But someone has to read it, right? Yes. Absolutely. Find a small group of like-minded individuals, and share work amongst each other. In this way, you learn from each other and everyone wins. (I’m a fan of scribophile.com. They’re an exceptional resource for new and experienced writers alike) Showing off immature work only makes people think you are a bad writer. Not a writer in training. A bad one. First impressions, right? Find your writing group. They will be your best friends.

Learn to take criticism. I can’t stress this one enough. Become a rhino with thick hide. It may seem like people are just being mean sometimes. (And sometimes they are, especially on the internet!) but this is how you improve. You do not exist in a vacuum, and there’s always someone who is a better writer. If they offer advice, at least listen to the reasoning behind the criticism. You are under no obligation to change your story to please anyone, but know that it might need to change to become better.